Whiplash Facts

When it comes to research regarding whiplash,
many articles have been published that appear to conflict or contradict
each other. The goal of this article is to report the “facts” about
whiplash.

It is more common to have a delay in the onset of
whiplash symptoms. Symptoms may start about two hours after the initial
injury or it may take days, weeks, or months before you feel anything.

For
whiplash caused by car accidents, the severity depends on the force of
the impact, the way you were seated in your car, and if you were
properly restrained using a shoulder and seat belt.

Tests show
the soft tissues in your neck sustain injury at a threshold of 5 mph (~8
kmh). That means if you’re rear-ended at 5 mph (~8 kmh) or slower, then
you have a lower chance of getting whiplash. However, most rear-end car
accidents happen at speeds of 6-12 mph (~6-19 kmh).

If you’ve
been in a car accident, it’s a good idea to be evaluated even if your
car didn’t sustain damage and you don’t feel any pain.

Although
whiplash is most often associated with car accidents, you can also get
whiplash from sports such as snowboarding, boxing, football, and
gymnastics.

The concept of “no car damage = no injury” is
COMPLETELY false. Most cars can withstand collisions of up to 10 mph
(~16 kmh) and as pointed out above, only in collisions < 5 mph (~8
kmh) are you less likely to be injured. Collisions that occur between
6-12 mph (~6-19 kmh) cause the highest percentage of whiplash injuries
(which is below the threshold of car damage in most cases). Also, the
energy of the impact is transferred to the contents inside the car when
there is no vehicular damage (that means you).

Mild traumatic
brain injury (MTBI) can occur in motor vehicle collisions even if the
head does not hit an object inside the car, although it’s more common
when there is a head strike. The symptoms associated with MTBI are often
referred to as “Post Concussive Syndrome.”

Approximately 10% of whiplash injured patients become totally disabled.

Of the studies published since 1995, over 60% of whiplash patients required long-term medical care.

Risk
factors for long-term symptoms associated with WAD include rear
impacts, loss of the cervical lordosis curve, pre-existing degenerative
arthritis, use of seat belts & shoulder harness (low-speed impacts
only), poor head restraint position or shape, non-awareness of the
impending collision, female (especially those with a long, slender
neck), and head rotation at impact.

Members of ChiroTrust® have taken “The ChiroTrust Pledge”: “To the best of my ability, I agree to provide my patients convenient, affordable, and mainstream Chiropractic care. I will not use unnecessary long-term treatment plans and/or therapies.”

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This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.